9. Toward those who have never tasted of the good word, God is indeed pitiful and of tender mercy. But justice takes place with regard to those who have tasted that the Lord is gracious, and have afterwards _turned back from the holy commandment_ then _delivered to them. [87]For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened_, in whose hearts God had once shined, to enlighten them with the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of _Jesus Christ; who have tasted of the heavenly gift_, of redemption in his blood, the forgiveness of sins; _and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost_, of lowliness, of meekness, and of the love of God and man shed abroad in their hearts, by the Holy Ghost which was given unto them: _and have fallen away_, καὶ παραπεσόντας· (Here is not a supposition, but a flat declaration of matter of fact) _to renew them again unto repentance: seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of_ God _afresh, and put him to an open shame_.
But that none may misunderstand these awful words, it should be carefully observed, 1. Who they are that are here spoken of; namely, they, and they only, who _were once_ thus _enlightened_. They only _who did taste of_ that _heavenly gift, and were_ thus _made partakers of the Holy Ghost_. So that all who have not experienced these things, are wholly unconcerned in this scripture. 2. What that falling away is which is here spoken of. It is an absolute, total apostacy. A believer may fall, and not fall away. He may fall and rise again. And if he should fall, even into sin, yet this case, dreadful as it is, is not desperate. For _we have an Advocate with the Father_, Jesus Christ _the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins_. But let him above all things beware, lest his _heart be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin_: lest he should sink lower and lower, ’till he wholly fall away, ’till he become as _salt_ that hath _lost its savour: for if we_ thus _sin wilfully, after we have received the_ experimental _knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins: but a certain, fearful looking for of fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries_.
II. 1. “But although we may not wholly separate ourselves from mankind, although it be granted, we ought to season them, with the religion which God has wrought in our hearts, yet may not this be done insensibly? May we not convey this into others in a secret, and almost imperceptible manner? So that scarce any one shall be able to observe, how or when it is done? Even as salt conveys its own savour, into that which is seasoned thereby, without any noise, and without being liable to any outward observation. And if so, altho’ we do not go out of the world, yet we may lie hid in it. We may thus far keep our religion to ourselves, and not offend those whom we cannot help.”
2. Of this plausible reasoning of flesh and blood, our Lord was well aware also. And he has given a full answer to it in those words, which come now to be considered: in explaining which I shall endeavour to shew, as I proposed to do in the second place, that so long as true religion abides in our hearts, it is impossible to conceal it, as well as absolutely contrary to the design of its great Author.
And, first, it is impossible for any that have it, to conceal the religion of _Jesus Christ_. This our Lord makes plain beyond all contradiction, by a two-fold comparison. _Ye are the light of the world. A city set upon an hill cannot be hid._
_Ye_ Christians _are the light of the world_, with regard both to your tempers and actions. Your holiness makes you as conspicuous, as the sun in the midst of heaven. As ye cannot go out of the world, so neither can ye stay in it, without appearing to all mankind. Ye may not flee from men, and while ye are among them, it is impossible to hide your lowliness and meekness, and those other dispositions whereby ye aspire to be perfect, as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Love cannot be hid any more than light; and least of all, when it shines forth in action; when ye exercise yourselves in the labour of love, in beneficence of every kind. As well may men think to hide a city, as to hide a Christian: yea, as well may they conceal a city set upon a hill, as a holy, zealous, active lover of God and man.
3. It is true, men who love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil, will take all possible pains to prove, that the light which is in you is darkness. They will say evil, all manner of evil, falsely, of the good which is in you: they will lay to your charge that which is farthest from your thoughts, which is the very reverse of all you are and all you do. And your patient continuance in well-doing, your meek suffering all things for the Lord’s sake, your calm, humble joy in the midst of persecution, your unwearied labour to overcome evil with good, will make you still more visible and conspicuous than ye were before.